Stem cell-related markers in primary breast cancers and associated metastatic lesions.

ABSTRACT: It has been reported previously that: (1) normal-breast epithelial cells that are CD24-/44+ express higher levels of stem/progenitor cell-associated genes; (2) cancer cells that have undergone epithelial to mesenchymal transition display CD24-/44+ cell-surface expression, a marker for breast cancer stem cells; (3) loss of E-cadherin is a preliminary step in epithelial to mesenchymal transition; and (4) vimentin is a marker of mesenchymal phenotype. We hypothesized that stem cell subpopulations would be more frequent in metastatic than in primary tumors. Therefore we assessed by immunohistochemical analysis, tissue microarrays containing tissue from primary and associated metastatic breast cancers for expression of CD24, CD44, E-cadherin and vimentin to evaluate candidate cancer-initiating

SUBMITTER: Guler G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3400504 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature